Hopelessly Devoted To You
by cas.92
Summary: After a year without Black Stones, Mitsuki Endo decides to move to Tokyo for a change in atmosphere. Along the way, her life starts to fall in place one piece at a time. ShinxOC.
1. Prologue

Hopelessly Devoted To You

Chapter 1 - Prologue

* * *

I used to think that I would live my life like a fairytale- that I was a princess who's going to find her Prince Charming and 'live happily ever after'. Unfortunately, now that I'm fifteen, I've come to realize that it's not going to happen. It was just over a year ago that this information hit me- kind of like getting hit by a car as you're crossing the street... but I won't get too deep into that.

Anyways, the start of my biggest suffering happened after one of Blast's gigs- I can remember it like it was just yesterday. The four of them had started of with my favourite song, My Medicine- I had helped Nana choose the right English words for the song. After the show, we had some drinks to celebrate- Nana actually _gave_me a beer- and then headed home. As expected, Nobu was flat out bombed, so Yasu volunteered to bring him home. As they were leaving, Yasu turned around and said 'Ren, I'll tell Nobu- make sure you tell them.' If I ever have to pick my most hated sentence that would probably make my top five.

I never was part of Blast and I wasn't really close to Ren so the news didn't affect me as much as it did Nana. I was more of a crazed fan, but to me, Blast was my family- the ones that actually get along. Maybe they all felt the same as well because they always treated my like the younger sister and took care of me, probably because of my age. Ren and Nana would sometime even treat me like their daughter- though, I didn't mind at all.

After Ren left to join Trapnest- yeah, that was the news- I started to see less and less of Nana, Yasu, and Nobu. At the time, it didn't occur to me that I would completely loose touch with them, but when it did, I was completely destroyed. I kept playing guitar though- maybe as a way to comfort myself- and every so often sing a bit, but I wasn't inspired to make any songs for myself.

Now that a year has passed, I've decided to move to Tokyo. Why? I'm not too sure myself... Maybe to get a taste of the big city or to prove to myself that I can live on my own independently, but there's always been a nagging voice at the back of my mind- 'I want to form a band'. If I get famous enough maybe I can see Ren again, or maybe the others will see me and find me after a concert. But of course, this is just another one of my dreams... and you know how those turn out...

_~Yours truly has successfully been accepted into an art university!~_

"Damn Sho..." I mumbled, lifting my head for a moment to read my brother's overly excited text.

From what I've heard, he's tried quite a few times to get accepted and now he finally has… right before I arrive in Tokyo. Just my luck. With a sigh, I flipped my phone closed, but the annoying ring tone pulled my attention back.

"What do you want Sho?" I answered, exhaustion evident in my voice.

_"You shouldn't answer your phone like that,"_ he scolded, _"what happens if it was your boyfriend?"_

"Boyfriend?" I repeated with a scoff. "I don't have one."

No matter what the situation is, he always assumed that I have a boyfriend. It actually became rather annoying. Especially since he only thinks that way because I tend to fall for guys easily. And since he's a guy, he knows that they'd take advantage of that.

"So, why are you calling? You just sent me a text..."

_"Oh yeah! Nana's coming to Tokyo!"_

"Komatsu, right? You're girlfriend?" I confirmed, remembering my old friend, Nana _Osaki._

The names were barely different, but there was definitely a big difference between the two.

_"Yeah, she just told me a little while ago,"_ he answered, then paused for a moment. _"Are you on a train?"_

"A tr-train? Why would I be on a train?"

I was planning on telling on not telling him so he wouldn't be able to tell our parents, but unfortunately, he's keen on this kind of thing.

_"I hear a train engine in the background… You're coming to Tokyo too, aren't you?"_

"Why can't I get anything past you?" I sighed, leaning my head against the window. "Don't tell me, Nana's on this train too?"

_"Probably, go find her and say hi!"_

"Sorry, but she's your girlfriend. Not mine..." I sighed.

_"Fine, be that way," _he whined. _"But I'll pick you up as well when you get here, since I'm picking up Nana anyways."_

"Yeah, sure. Whatever. See ya later."

With that, I closed my phone for the final time, not planning to open it for a long while.

~A note to all commuters. Due to the snow, this train will be halted momentarily. We apologize to those who are in a hurry...~

"Great..."

The train finally came to a stop five hours later and I turned off my mp3 player. I had gone through a hundred and three songs. With a sigh, I quickly packed all of my things and grabbed my bag and guitar. If the ride hadn't ended when it had, I probably would have gone crazy. I'd been sitting in the same position for five straight hours. I had tried to rest my feet on the seat in front of me, but I received my share of complaints.

"Now to find Sho..."

With a sigh, I headed out the side doors and looked around until my eyes fell on my brother and the girl in his arms. I hadn't actually seen or met his girlfriend before, but I was assuming she was one of those perky girls and that she was most likely crying in his arms.

As I headed over to where they were, the girl turned her head over to me, revealing two puffy, red eyes.

"One for two," I mumbled to myself.

"Five hours must have been really awful," Sho commented, trying to get her to cheer up a bit.

She suddenly perked up and looked off behind you, her tears disappearing. "Yeah, but then... Ah!"

"I'd say two for two," I added quietly as I stopped beside Sho.

Sho looked over at her in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"I made friends with the girl who sat next to me," she answered, still looking over in that direction, "but she's not here. Her name was the same as mine... Nana..."

"N-Nana!"

That immediately caught my attention. I've been wanting to see her for the past year. Even if it's the wrong Nana, at that point, I didn't care.

Without a words notice, I took off in the direction she had been looking in with my bag and guitar in tow.

"Mitsuki! Where are you going!"

Ignoring his calls, I kept running, praying that I'd find her.

"You couldn't have gotten _that_ far..." I mumbled, looking around frantically for my old friend.

My feet suddenly stopped moving, my eyes locking on a girl a few meters away.

"N-Nana..?"

Before I gave her a chance to turn around and answer, I jumped her from behind and pulled her into a hug.

"Um... Do I know you?"

"Wh-wha?" I immediately released her and looked up into her dark eyes with a frown. "How could you have forgotten me already?"

She kept a serious look on me, making my heart drop, but it's suddenly replaced with a fast-growing grin.

"Of course I haven't forgotten you, Chiko," she laughed. "So are you just moving here or did you come here to see a boy as well?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, you were talking to my brother's girlfriend..."

As a sigh escapes my lips, my cell phone goes off again. Most likely Sho.

"Hey Sho."

_"Don't 'hey Sho' me. Where did you run off to?"_

"I found Nana!" I answered proudly. I probably sounded like a little kid.

_"That's great, but we have to go,"_ he sighed.

"Oh, I'm not staying at your place," I informed. "I already have a place rented out. Plus, I wouldn't want to be around you guys tonight."

A shiver ran down my back at the thought of what they could do.

_"Uh, right..."_ His voice didn't seem to be denying it, just excepting the fact that it would be very... Awkward. _"I'll see you later then."_

"Alright, see ya."

A slight chuckle from Nana brought my attention back from my phone as I closed my phone.

"Are they really _that _close?" she asked, laughing at my disgusted face.

"I guess so," I sighed. "So are you bunking with me tonight?"

"Sounds good to me. I'll go look for my own place tomorrow."

After a small, understanding nod, the two of us headed off to spend the night at my place.

Usually someone my age wouldn't be able to afford any sort of lodging, but luckily, I found a relatively small apartment for a cheap price. Plus, I have been saving my income for over a year. I've always wanted to move to Tokyo and now I've finally pulled enough money together. Unfortunately, my brother beat me to it.

* * *

**FN: **So, how's the first chapter? I'm up for any criticism and suggestions so lay them on. :)


	2. A Place of Her Own

Hopelessly Devoted to You

Chapter 2 - A Place of Her Own

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes, but stayed where I was- too tired to get up. Nana and I had stayed up until early morning, talking and catching up on what we missed during the past year. Of course, nothing about Black Stones or Ren was brought up. I was curious, but I knew not to drag Nana's mood down. Everyone had one or two things that they couldn't talk about.

I stayed still for a few more minutes, before sitting up suddenly, realizing that Nana wasn't there with me. My immediate response was to look through the covers, completely ignoring my common sense. Obviously she wasn't there.

"Chiko, what're you doing?"

I quickly turned my gaze to the bathroom boor, where Nana was standing, a puzzled look on her face. Chiko had been the nickname she gave me after a small purring incident. The group of us had been drinking and Nana had actually offered me a drink. In the end, I had ended up purring at some point and that started the nickname. Personally, I didn't mind at all.

"Nana! I thought you left!"

With tears of joy streaming from my eyes, I ran over and jumped into her arms.

"I only went to take a bath..." She sighed.

"But you could have told me or something."

"You were sleeping..."

I was obviously on the losing side of the conversation, more or less the side that didn't make any sense. If it were any other person, someone that I've _seen_ in the past year, I would have shrugged it off if they disappeared suddenly. But Nana's someone I don't want to lose again.

"Right... Sorry..."

I slowly took a step back with a defeated sigh.

"Same old Chiko," she laughed, patting my head as she walked past me. "Get ready, we're going to go look for an apartment for me."

With a newfound spur of energy, I quickly grabbed my stuff and headed into the washroom. This wasn't me saying that I wanted her to find her own place. On the contrary, I would've rather her stayed at mine, but I knew that once she sets her mind on something, there's no stopping her. So, I figured I'd do whatever I could to help.

"You ready yet?" she called from the front door.

"Uh, yeah. Just a sec!"

Hoping for the best, I headed out of the washroom and to her side, instantly catching a whiff of cigarette smoke.

"No, you can't have any," she stated sternly as we walked out the door.

"Wha? But I didn't even ask," I whined, now wanting one even more.

"You're fifteen, you shouldn't be smoking," she added calmly.

"But I..." I slowly trailed off with a sigh of defeat. "Fine... Whatever..."

"Well, what do you think? Isn't the view gorgeous?"

From where I was standing, both Nana and I turned towards the window, curious of this _gorgeous_view that Yokoi was talking about. After leaving my apartment, Nana had lead us straight to the real estate building where we got stuck with Yokoi. He's probably not the best person to get stuck with, but he _was_ eager to find Nana a place to stay.

"It's hard to find such a nice apartment. You're extremely lucky," he added, trying to seal the deal.

With a small smile, she turned towards him for a moment, then back to the window. I could tell she likes the place, but she's probably not one hundred percent sure yet. It's an average sized apartment- basically like mine, but with two bedrooms instead of one. And they look reasonably larger too.

From behind, the door suddenly opens.

"Huh?"

I took a quick glance behind me for a second, but immediately turned back, having a double take. Standing in the doorway was none other than my brother's girlfriend. The other Nana. Along side her was another real estate agent.

"Looks like you beat me," the older man stated with a chuckle. "Do you mind if we show them together?"

"Actually, yes, that is a problem," Yokoi answered. "You see, my customer here is almost convinced about moving in."Finally finding an interest in the others, Nana glances over at the door, catching eyes with her name twin.

"Nana! You're Nana, aren't you? I can't believe this!" Komatsu exclaimed excitedly as she made her way towards us. "What an unexpected coincidence!"

My Nana, on the other hand, didn't seem as fazed by the unlikely run in. She just kept a blank face, just like when you found her at the train station. She seemed to like toying around with people's minds.

"...who are you?"

Nana immediately fell to the floor, an utterly confused and panicked look on her face. I couldn't help but laugh. When it's not me, it really _is_ funny.

"Sorry, sorry," Nana laughed, lending her a hand. "Are you alright, Nana?"

"So you _do_ remember me!" she exclaimed, most likely confirming it for herself as well.

"For a second, I didn't," Nana stated nervously. "Your hairstyle and dress are so different."

My laughing suddenly caught her attention as well.

"Your Shoji's sister, right?"

"Unfortunately," I joked, putting the confused look back onto her face.

"Anyways, Miss Osaki, right?" Yokoi butted in. "Do you want this apartment?"

As she went to answer, the other Nana started wandering around the place in awe.

"Looks like you'll have competition," I pointed out, watching her hop into the bathtub excitedly.

"I want it!"

"Wait a minute!" Nana and Yokoi shouted out in a panic.

"I got here first. You can't just do as you please," Nana added. Knowing her, she probably wanted the place for sure now. "Yokoi. The application form," she instructed, taking the form from him.

She moved to fill it out, but Komatsu suddenly grabbed her hand with tears in her eyes. "Please wait a minute."

"Why should I? I need a place of my own," she retorted, trying to pull her arm back.

I sighed at the scene. "Why don't you just stay with Sho?" Obviously, I wanted my friend to get the room. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"Did he dump you or something?" Nana commented slyly.

"No.. but if it goes on like this, he eventually will! I'm sure of it!"

"I don't think he would, he seems pretty serious with you..."

"But... It's like this, Shoji said-"

The three of us were suddenly interrupted as Yokoi clears his throat. "Shouldn't we focus on more serious matter? Like what to do with this apartment."

"More serious matters?" the three of us demanded, glaring at him.

"How awful! I'm seriously concerned about this!" Komatsu whined.

"If you want to sell these places, I suggest you show more concern for the people," I added, now finding him a pain in the ass.

Nana, on the other hand, grabbed him by the collar. "How can you show such lack of delicacy! Work is not something that can be done in a hurry!"

As soon as she released him, he backed up behind the other man nervously.

"Now, now, girls. Calm down..." The man held his arms out, trying to control the situation. "If you'd care to hear it, I have a suggestion."

Nana raised a brow, turning to Komatsu. "Who is this easy going old man?"

"He's Mr. Andou from the real estate in front of the station," she answered happily. "He's a veteran at this job."

Andou smiled at the three of us. "Why don't you just consider moving in together? It looks like you two are good friends anyways. Not to mention, it would cut the rent and living expense by half."

That immediately caught their attention.

"How much is 70 000 divided by two?" Nana questioned, a new found excitement in her voice.

Komatsu stared doing the math in her head, but I was a bit faster. "Ұ35 000."

"Cheap!" they both exclaimed.

"Let's do it, Nana!" Komatsu exclaimed in excitement. "Living in such a beautiful house at such a cheap price is like a dream!"

I sighed. "Can you respect other people's privacy?"

"I'll respect it!"

"Alright then," Nana chimed in. "Andou, how long will it take for this place to be ready?"

"It should be ready by tomorrow morning," he answered, receiving a hug from Komatsu.

"I'll come by tomorrow afternoon then," Nana informed, looking over at Komatsu. "What about you?"

"M-me too!"

"We'll be living together from tomorrow on then, Nana."

* * *

**FN:** Yea, it follows the manga pretty closely at the moment, but it branches off, don't worry. Let me know what you guys think.


	3. Owner's Son

Hopelessly Devoted To You

Chapter 3 - Owner's Son

* * *

Nana extended her hand in front of her to shake and seal the deal. For some odd reason, as soon as their hands touched, a spark of jealousy passed through my body. Maybe I should have offered to give up my apartment and stayed in this one with Nana... The thought hadn't come to me earlier because the two buildings are practically a block away, but now I was starting to wish I did.

"Right... I'm going to go wander around the city for a bit," I informed, staring to walk towards the door.

"Wait, Chiko. I'll come too," Nana called. She started walking towards me when I turned around.

"You're going to have to fill out the forms," I added, continuing to the door. "Plus, I'm just going to walk around."

She didn't say anything else, just let's me walk away- most likely sensing my agitation. I was never the type of person to come out and talk to someone about my feelings, so that wasn't unusual for me. On the other hand, I've never felt like a third seat. Even when Nana and Ren singled themselves out, I still felt like I belonged. I didn't understand why.

With a sigh, I turned my head up to the sky, trying to clear my mind. Unfortunately, it was the wrong thing to do at he moment. After one step, I crashed into someone, immediately falling to the ground.

"Ah, sorry. Are you okay?" A male's voice questioned from above me.

I quickly looked up at him, the pain from the fall immediately fading.

"Uh, yeah... I'm fine..." I answered, my cheeks heating up slightly.

He just slimed down at me and offered a hand, which I gladly took. "Sorry about that. I guess I should have been watching where I was going."

"N-no, it was partly my fault too."

If I thought about it, the whole thing was my fault, but bumping into him did have an upside. Now that I was eye level with him, I could get a good look at him. He stood at about 5'9", probably his early twenties, with mid length brown hair and thin-rimmed glasses.

"So, where are you headed?" he asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Not really anywhere. I was just walking around a bit."

"In that case, why don't you come over to my music store? It's just around the corner."

It only took me a second to decide. Cute guy, plus music equals a definite yes.

"By the way, I'm Kyoshiro Kojima," he introduced as he walked with me at his side. "But you can just call my Kyo."

He looked down at me questioningly, waiting to hear my name as well.

"Mitsuki Endo."

"'Beautiful moon', right?" He asked, causing me to blush a bit.

I didn't exactly want to start anything with this guy, considering that there's probably at least a good six years between the two of us, but I couldn't help but fall for guys like him. My aunt had always told me that it was in my genes- that my mother used to do the same thing, but every time it was brought up with my mom, she would straight out deny it.

If I could get away without giving him my number or vice versa, then I could prove to myself _and _everyone else that I'm not like that with _every guy_.

"Well, here we are. Good old 'Indie's'," he introduced happily.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I turned my attention to the store- _Indie's Music_. It seemed like an average sized store- nothing to impressive, but it did have a nice vibe to it.

"Looks like dad's hiring again... You interested in a job?"

The tone in his voice told me he was only kidding, but I _did _need a job. One at a music store would be perfect.

"Sure."

"Wh-what?" He quickly covered his shock and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Well, I guess you could... I did ask after all."

As we entered the building, he glanced around the store for a second, then turned back to me with a grin.

"Alright, the job's all yours."

"That's it? No interview or something?"

"Uh..."Obviously, he hadn't thought of something like that and probably didn't want to. "How about you just show up tomorrow evening and we'll see what happens?"

"Sounds good to me," I shrugged, casually walking over to the guitars.

"So, do you play?"

I nodded, remembering when I had first started playing. "Yeah, for about three years now."

That's when I had been given my first guitar- the same one I had now. After seeing how good Nobu had become, I wanted to learn too, so Blast had pitched together and bought me a guitar for my birthday. It was a black jaguar and I had instantly fallen in love with it the second I lay my eyes on it. Since then, I've decaled a moon onto the body. It was just as Kyo had said, _beautiful moon_.

For a few seconds, there's silence, but it's soon cut off by my phone. With an apologetic smile to Kyo, I flipped it open and put it to my ear.

"Hello?"

_"Hey, where'd you go?" _Nana's familiar voice questions. _"I'm starting to miss you."_

"What?"

That little bit of information caught me off guard a bit. Considering how well the two Nana's had been getting along, I thought she wouldn't have minded if I was gone for a while, but now that she had said that, I was starting to feel better.

_"So, where are you?"_

"Uh, I'm at a music store. I just got a job."

_"Really? Wow. What did you do, pick up the owner's son?"_

She laughed a bit as I stood there speechless. I knew she was just joking around, but still...

_"Why don't we head over to your place and get some food?"_

"Sure, I'll pick up something on the way back."

After a quick 'goodbye', I hung up and turned back to Kyo.

"Boyfriend?" he asked, a smirk on his lips.

"Wha? N-no, just a friend," I answered quickly. "A girl, too."

He nodded. "Only teasing," he reassured. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

With a small wave, I headed out of the store and back onto Tokyo's busy streets. Now I had to find food. When I had agreed to pick some up, I hadn't really thought of where to get it from, but Nana's not exactly a picky eater and any place was as good as any other. In the end, I chose the first place I found and headed back to my apartment, finding Nana asleep on the couch.

"Typical..." I sighed, setting the food on the table.

"Chiko...?"

With a slight chuckle, I turned back to her as she rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"What time is it?"

"Uhh..." I took a quick glance as a clock, surprised at how fast time had passed. "Around nine o'clock... I didn't think I was out there for so long. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it, she reassured, sitting down at the table. "So, is the owner's son cute?"

"Owner's son? Wait! I don't like him like that! Sure, he's cute and all, but he's at least six years older than me!"

"So there was actually a guy?" she asked, surprise written all over her face.

I quickly put some food in my mouth to prevent me from saying anything else. It just causes her to laugh.

"Ha, ha, hilario-" I suddenly stopped as my phone started vibrating.

"And you gave him your number?" she questioned, continuing to laugh.

Ignoring her, I flipped it open, finding a text from Sho.

~I'll be home late. One of my colleagues went home with a fever, and I have to replace him for the night switch. It will be hard. But after I get home, we'll do some ecchi stuff, and I'll be okay! Bwahaha!

3 Shoji~

"Uhh..."

Nana suddenly grabed the phone from my hands and immediately started reading it.

"Wait, that's-"

"YOU HOOKED UP WITH YOUR BROTHER!"

"Of course not!" I quickly grabbed the phone back from her in a panic. "It's probably for Nana, but he sent it to me by accident, you idiot."

"Oh..."

With a sigh, I forwarded it to Nana. "Stupid guy... Whatever. I'm heading off to bed."

"Already? But we haven't even gotten out the beer yet," she whined, watching me retreat to my room.

"I'm too tired," I shrugged, stopping at the door for a moment. "Plus, you wouldn't let me drink anyways."

"True... Okay, good night."

"'Night."

* * *

**FN: **Is anyone reading? Review and let me know, 'cuz I'll end up posting faster if I know people are interested.


	4. First Day of Work

Hopelessly Devoted To You

Chapter 4 - First Day of Work

* * *

"Why did you have to pick an apartment on the seventh floor?" I whined, dropping down onto the floor.

"It's not _that_ bad," Nana commented. "And you're only sixteen. You should be able to do things like this easily."

"Yeah, but not right after I wake up."

"Then wake up before noon."

Obviously not winning this argument, I stopped talking and watched her walk around the room for a while.

"So, are you guys going to buy some furniture and stuff?" I asked, breaking the silence.

She nodded. "But I guess I'll wait until Nana shows up."

As she stopped at the window, there was a light knock on the door, so I got up to answer it.

"Hey Na-YASU!"

I instantly swung the door open and jumped into his arms happily.

"Missed you too, Mitsuki," he laughed, walking into the room while holding me up. "Hey Nana."

Instead of giving him a welcoming like I had, she just turned and gave him a small smile.

"So, what're you doing here? Did Nana call you up or something?" I asked excitedly, finally dropping back to the floor.

"Yeah, something like that. I'm going to sign the papers for her and I figured she might need some help with some other stuff."

"Oh, cool. Right, Nana?" With a grin, I looked over to where she was standing, but she wasn't there. "Uh, Nana?"

"Over here. I'm gonna take a bath."

"Right..." As I turned to where her voice came from, the bathroom door closed.

There was a moment of silence before Yasu broke it. "So, what are you doing in Tokyo?"

"Umm..."

I could tell he was asking to find out if I had run away from home and then he'd probably tell me that it would be better if I went back. But that wasn't going to happen.

"I moved here to live on my own."

My gaze immediately fell to the floor. I was scared for his response, to say the least. I had always seen Yasu as a father figure, or a protective older brother and I was guessing that he wouldn't approve of moving out on my own at such a young age. Apparently though, my assumptions were wrong. He gently put his hand on my head, causing me to look up at him in confusion.

"Finally decided to make your dream come true?"

That definitely wasn't what I expected.

"You're not going to tell me 'go home' or 'you're not old enough'?"

He shook his head slowly and moved his hand from my head. "You're very mature for a sixteen year old. I'm sure you can make it on your own."

A smile spread across my face at his response. "Thanks, Yasu."

"No problem." He returned the smile as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes- Black Stones- and lit one in his mouth.

Just as I was about to ask for one, there was a knock at the door so Yasu turned around to answer it. With a sigh, I headed over to the back wall and leaned against it, figuring the odds of Yasu giving me one was slim to none.

"Can I help you?" Yasu questioned, blocking my view from whoever was at the door.

"I-I got the wrong room, sorry!"

The voice sounded faintly familiar, but I just shrugged as Yasu turned around, no one at the door anymore.

"Yasu! There's no hot water!" Nana shouted as she stepped out of the washroom in a towel.

"Did you go to the gas company to get it connected?"

"...gas?"

As I chuckled lightly at her response Nana Komatsu poked her head in from the hall.

"Nana!"

"I was waiting for you. You're late," Nana pointed out as she walked to the door. "Oh, you brought your boyfriend?"

"Yeah, and friends too!"

"Please come in, I didn't know you were a fellow tenant," Yasu apologized, allowing her to walk in.

As Sho and two others followed her in, Nana headed back to the washroom, complaining about catching a cold.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Junko Saotome, I'm a friend of Nana Komatsu," one of her friends introduced challengingly as she stepped up to Yasu. "Who are you?"

"I haven't introduced myself yet, sorry. I'm Nana Osaki's friend and guarantor. My name is Yasushi Takagi," he informed, handing her a business card.

The four of them looked down at the card, shocked looks written over their faces.

"You're a lawyer?" Sho asked in surprise.

"I'm still doing my apprenticeship, but if you need a lawyer, call me anytime," he answered, turning as Nana came back out of the washroom- this time, wearing clothes.

"Hey Yasu! Do something, there's still no hot water!"

"You're supposed to call the gas company and request a connection," Yasu sighed.

"You phone them!"

"Okay, okay..."

If I hadn't known Yasu was a lawyer, I would have never guessed. It's not usual for lawyers- or people in general- to just give into people like this, but Yasu never seems bothered by it. With a sigh, I glanced down at my phone, focusing on the time.

"Well, I have to head off to work. See ya," I informed.

I started walking to the door after hearing a few goodbyes and one last comment from Nana.

"Say hi to Kyo for me!"

Yeah, I told her his name... more like 'was forced to'. Ignoring her, I made my way down the seven flights of stairs and onto the street. Luckily I could remember where the store was.

"Hey Mitsuki, perfect timing, I was just about to run an errand," Kyo greeted happily. "Think you can run the shop for a bit? I'll be back in no time at all."

"Uh... Sure?"

I was a little confused on why someone would leave a new employee- one that hasn't worked here before, I might add- by themselves to run the store.

"Oh yeah, I got you this hat with a name tag on it," he told me, holding a hat out. "As long as you wear it, you won't need a uniform. Alright, be back in a bit."

"Wait! Kyo!"

Unfortunately, by the time I took the hat from him and looked up, he was already out the door, just giving me a wave to add to my confusion.

"How did I get stuck here again..." I mumbled to myself as I propped the hat on my head.

With a sigh, I moved behind the counter and leaned against it lazily. This was definitely _not_ what I had expected at all. There hadn't been a doubt in my mind that there would at least be _someone_ else here with me, teaching me how to do things, showing me where merchandise was located... Unfortunately, I was wrong.

The store was completely silent for what seemed like hours. I had decided to pull out a guitar after a while and played some blues music, but that didn't seem to help. So, once more, I found myself behind the counter, waiting for my boss as a dog would for his owner.

"So much for Kyo..."

As I dropped my head onto the counter, the door opened and a guy walked in with a guitar or bass on his back. By the looks of it, he was around my age... Well, at least I was hoping he was.

"Hey, can I get a bass string here?" He asked, walking up to the counter.

"Uhm..." I paused, looking around the store. "Actually... I'm not to sure..."

Of course, it would have been a good idea to look around the store while it was empty, but then again, it was a music store, I've been to plenty of those.

With a nervous chuckle, I moved over to where the accessories seemed to be located and looked through the hanging items. I could tell he was watching me look around for the string, which didn't really help my nerves. That and the fact that he was a total Bishonen. I made a mental note to refer to him as 'Bishie' for now.

"So, which string do you need?"

He gave a slightly uncomfortable look as he answered. "Uhh... The G..."

I turned back towards the rows of strings, hoping he wouldn't see the blush slowly creeping onto my cheeks.

By the time I found it, I had composed myself and held it out to him. "Here. Do you need me to put it on for you?"

I mentally smacked myself. Boy, has this conversation taken a turn for the worse.

"No, that's okay," he answered with a laugh. I don't blame him either. "Do you play bass too?"

"I can play a bit, but mostly guitar."

Finally a normal conversation.

"Wow, a female guitarist. You can't find those in Tokyo now a days," he commented, looking genuinely impressed. "Maybe we should play together sometime."

"Yeah, that would be nice," I answered, giving him a smile.

He returned the smile as we walked back to the cash register.

"That will be Ұ2500."

He nodded and counted out some money from his pocket and handed it to me.

"Thanks."

With a smile, I handed him the string in a bag and watched him as he turned around, heading out the door. I stayed hopeful for a few seconds, hoping he'd turn around, but it faded as the front door closed.

"Guess he wasn't interested..." I sighed, resting my head back onto the counter.

* * *

**FN**: Big thank you to Grizzly-Belle818 for reviewing. To be honest, I forgot about this fanfic, so now that it's back in my radar, I should be getting chapters up more frequently ^^;


	5. The Flirt

Hopelessly Devoted To You

Chapter 5 - The Flirt

* * *

It only took a few minutes of me sitting in gloom before the door opened again, this time the person immediately claimed my attention.

"Uhh... Mitsuki, do you think I can get your number?" the bishie asked, hanging by the door shyly.

I couldn't help the grin that spread across my lips as he rubbed the back of his neck. "If you tell me _your_ name."

I was assuming he'd learned my name from the tag on my work hat, so I didn't bother to question it.

"Right, that would make sense," he mumbled, giving me a sheepish smile. "My name's Shinichi Okazaki, but Shin is fine."

"Shin, huh? Alright." I took his phone as he held it out for me and quickly put my number in. "Anything else?"

"No, that's it for today," he laughed, walking back out the door. "See 'ya around."

"Bye."

Making sure that he was actually gone this time, I waited a few seconds before letting out a happy _yes!_.

"What are you so happy about?"

I quickly spun around to face both Nana's at the door, my heart racing from being startled.

"N-nothing! You know me, I'm always... Happy," I lied, obviously not doing a good job of it.

"You okay?" Nana asks sceptically. "You seem very nervous... Suspicious actually."

Instead of answering and digging myself into an even deeper hole, I stayed quiet, my eyes finding their way to the many bags they're carrying.

"Oh yeah, Mitsuki, look at all the stuff we bought!" Nana Komatsu exclaimed, holding up various objects for me to see. It was almost overwhelming.

"Down Hachi," Nana ordered, immediately catching Komatsu's attention... And my own.

"Why does it have to be a dog's name?" she whined.

"Hachi...?" I asked softly, my gaze lowering to the counter in front of me.

Had they gotten that close already? It seemed that way to me... Maybe I really had been replaced.

"Chiko, are you sure you're okay?" Nana asked, placing her palm on my forehead. "You're acting weird."

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired I guess. I've been standing here for almost two hours and only one person stopped by," I excused. That was partially the reason anyways.

"I have something to cheer you up!" Hachi informed, pulling out a poster.

As I got a better look at it, I could tell that it was a band poster- Trapnest.

"You're going to put it on your wall?" I questioned, focussing on the guitarist- Ren.

"Definitely! I'm a huge fan!"

As she went on to explain that she's in their fan club, I glanced over at Nana. I thought for sure that she would look even the slightest bit saddened, but she probably had to already go through this with Hachi when they bought it. I still couldn't help but worry about her. The poster would be like a constant reminder of the past.

"Mitsuki, I'm back! And I've got something for you!"

"Took long enough," I mumbled.

"Aww, what're you mumbling about? I wasn't gone _that_ long," Kyo commented, looking over at my friends. "And who are these ladies?"

"Nana and Hachi," I answered with a sigh. "They just stopped by to see how I was doing."

"Hachi...? Isn't that a dog's name?" he asked, getting a panicked reaction from her. "Though, it _is_ a cute name."

"Thanks, but my real name is Nana as well," Hachi corrected, blushing slightly.

"Even better," he added, giving her a smile.

Getting annoyed by his flirting, I cleared my throat, getting his attention.

"Oh, right. Here, fill this out so we can pay you." He handed me a small package of papers and turns back to Hachi. "You can leave when you're done that."

"But I've only been working for two hours," I pointed out, looking over the papers.

"That was just a test run," he explained. "Since I didn't interview you or anything."

With a shrug, I started filling out the sheets as Hachi and Kyo continued talking.

"Nana, could you grab a D string for me? Mine snapped when I pulled it out of the case the other day," I told her, lifting my head for a second.

"Yeah, sure."

When I finally finished filling out all the forms, Nana dropped the string in front of me on the counter.

"Thanks."

"And thank _you_," Kyo stated, taking the papers from me. "That string can be your pay today."

"Alright, see ya."

After dragging Hachi away from kyo, the three of us headed out of the store and onto the street.

"I thought you're going out with my brother," I commented, trying to hide my teasing smile. "What's with all the flirting?"

"I wasn't flirting! I was just being nice!" she retorted quickly. "And I _am_ going out with Shoji!"

Nana and I started laughing as she panicked.

"That's good, because then you'd have to deal with _three _guys," Nana added with a laugh.

"Three?"

"N-no! Just Shoji, that's all!"

"Okay, okay, we're just teasing," I laughed, watching her take a sigh of relief.

"I wasn't," Nana added with a shrug.

"You don't believe me Nana? I wouldn't cheat on Shoji. I love only him," she whined, clinging onto Nana's arm.

"But saying you didn't flirt with Mizukoshi _and_ Kyo would be like saying Chiko doesn't fall for every guy she sees."

"What? I do not!" I retorted, quickly dropping my voice as I fidgeted with my fingers. "Only the cute ones..."

"See? Point proven. You're a flirt and you're boy crazy."

"Hey! Who's side are you on!" Hachi and I demanded, glaring at her.

"I'm on the side of 'truth'," she shrugged casually.

As I went to say something, Hachi's cell phone rang. I could tell it was hers because Nana doesn't have one and mine wasn't vibrating. That and her ring tone was much too cutesy for me.

"Hi Hi, this is Nana! Ah Shoji! Yes, I'm heading home with Nana and Mitsuki... No, really, I'm not being whimsical. We get along very well!"

With a small chuckle, I shook my head slowly. Nana had indeed picked a perfect name for her.

"Yep. What about you, are you still working?" she asked, then waited for a reply. "Yes, of course I'm coming!"

As the three of us stopped to let her talk, she turned to Nana and I excitedly.

"Do you want to come? Shoji said it's his treat tonight."

"No thanks, Mizukoshi's coming later so I have to be in," nana replied calmly.

"And I've seen him enough as it is," I added.

"Ah right... Maybe I should-"

"Nope, you go with him. We'll stay back at the apartment and wait for Mizukoshi," I instructed, cutting her off.

"Yes, but-"

"Or maybe, who knows... You could leave Shoji and get with Mizukoshi," Nana added, moving closer to Hachi so Sho would hear.

"Hello, Shoji? Where and when are we going to meet?" Hachi asked, her voice raised and panicked. "He's some old geezer at the furniture shop!"

Nana and I immediately started laughing.

"'G-geezer'? Ah, th-that's too good," I managed to get out through all the laughing.

When Nana and I finally stopped laughing, Hachi was looking at the two of us with a pout, her phone now put away.

"Geez, nana. Why did you say that silly thing? Shoji heard you!' Who knows what he's thinking right now." She whined as the three of us started walking again. "Plus, I'm going to start working at Mizukoshi's shop tomorrow!"

"All you have to do is stop flirting with him and you should be fine," I informed, trying to cheer her up a bit. "Anyways, Shoji seems pretty serious about you, so you shouldn't worry."

"R-really? You think so?"

"Mhm, never seen him like this before," I answered, keeping a monotone.

With a small scream of happiness, she pulled me into a hug, practically cutting off my air supply. For some odd reason, I can't keep myself from being happy when she was- even though it feels as if she was slowly replacing me.

"H-Hachi... Can't... b-breath," I choked out.

She immediately released me as Nana started laughing at the two of us.

"Heh, sorry."

* * *

**FN**: Sorry if there's any grammar or spelling mistakes that I missed, it's getting late and I really wanted to get this out asap . Thanks to those who reviewed, this story isn't exactly top priority for me, so if I know people are reading I'll post more often. ^^


	6. High Hopes

Hopelessly Devoted To You

Chapter 6 High Hopes

* * *

"Are you sure you don't mine staying here? Don't you two have any plans or anything?"

Ever since she got off the phone with Sho, Hachi's been worried about the two of us staying at the apartment while she went out and had fun. To be honest, neither of us really minded at all.

I shrugged, "nope. Believe it or not, I don't have a boyfriend so I've got all the free time I need."

"What about you, Nana? Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No."

"I knew it..."

"Huh?"

"You're in love with Yasu, aren't you?" Hachi stated, putting a confused look on Nana's face.

As soon as the words slipped from her lips, I started to laugh uncontrollably. I tried to hold it in, but the though was just to funny. Considering the type of relationship Nana and I have with Yasu, it's hilarious to hear someone suggest it.

"You know, if you're too tense, your happiness could just slip out of your hands," Hachi continued, making my laughter even harder to hold in.

"...Thanks for the warning," Nana replied uneasily.

As soon as Hachi left, I burst out laughing, but Nana stayed quiet.

"You know, even if I tried, I can't picture you going out with Yasu," I stated, finally getting a laugh out of her.

"Same here."

I got up and headed over to my guitar, intending to switch the string since I had the opportunity now. Nana, on the other hand, wandered over to Hachi's room.

"What's the point of getting locks if you're going to leave the door open?" she questioned in annoyance.

With a sigh, I started replacing the string. After almost three years of playing the guitar, I pretty much considered myself a pro 'string replacer' and I can easily get any string switched in less than four minutes.

"Hey Nana, where'd you go?" I called, placing my guitar back in the case.

Curiously, I spun a full 360 trying to find her, but the only thing that I noticed was that Hachi's door was still open.

"Nana...?"

I slowly made my way over to Hachi's room and immediately stopped at the door. To my left, Nana was sitting against the wall, her face hidden against her knees with Hachi's Trapnest CD in her hands.

As quietly as possible, I sat down beside her and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. She didn't seem to care, but she did lean against me, her tears starting to soak into my shirt. For a long while, we just sat there not saying a word. It pained me to see her like this, especially since it was so rare. She always put up a tough front which made her seem invincible, but seeing her like this showed that she could be vulnerable. A few years back, she would always do this sort of thing for me. Whenever I was ever feeling down, she was always there to comfort me, so I'd do the same for her.

"Thanks Chiko..."

* * *

"What time is it?"

With a groan, I rolled over on the bed and hid my head under the pillow.

"Wait... How did I get on a bed...?"

I immediately sat up and scanned the room I was in- Nana's room. From the other side of the door, I could hear Hachi whining about it being 11 o'clock or something, and that she was going to be late for work.

"Nanaaaaa... The clock isn't moving!"

As I stood up from the bed, I heard Nana laughing- a big improvement from yesterday. With a yawn, I stepped out of her room, finding both Nana's by the fridge.

"What did you put in there?" Hachi asked, looking over Nana's shoulder.

"Beer. Want some?"

"Waaai!"

"Don't 'waaai' me! You have to go to work," Nana replied, pulling the beer away from her.

"But I'm thirsty, and hungry, too!" Hachi whined.

As Nana turned to argue with Hachi, I quietly walked past her and picked the beer out of her hands.

"Hey! Chiko, give that back!" You're not allowed to have one."

With a shrug, I popped open the can and took a sip, making sure to keep an eye on Nana so she couldn't take it back. Luckily, she didn't do anything, but instead, pushed Hachi and myself into separate bedrooms.

"Get ready, we'll go get something to eat."

Just when I thought I had gotten away with the beer, she suddenly opened the door and grabbed it from me, not giving me enough time to react before closing the door. With a sigh, I got ready like she told us to and headed out of the room.

It was one hundred percent expected that she wouldn't let me keep the beer, so it wasn't a surprise at all. The only way I could get a drink is if she's not around, or if she's drunk already. But there have been the few rare times when _she_ gave me a drink.

* * *

"Let's eat by the river," Hachi suggested happily as she skipped on ahead of Nana and I.

"Sure, it's not like we have anywhere else to eat," I added, dropping down on the spot she picked out.

"Hmm, that's right. We don't even have a table yet," Nana commented. "And the gas company should be coming this afternoon."

As I pulled out some food from Hachi's bag, Nana laid down beside me with a smoke in her mouth.

"You're taunting me, aren't you?" I mumbled, glaring at her with a piece of bread in my mouth.

"Maybe just a little..."

She laughed a bit, but Hachi, on the other hand, didn't seem as happy as before.

"I'm sorry about yesterday... I should have stayed with you two..."

Nana and I immediately stop what we were doing and looked over at her.

"Nah, it's okay," Nana reassured casually, getting a nod from me as well. "We've got nothing to do anyways."

"But what about getting a job, Nana? Aren't you looking for one?"

"I have something better to look for," Nana answered, closing her eyes.

"Are you sure a _boy_ is better than a job?" I taunted, getting a solid punch in the arm. "Hey! I was just kidding."

"So, you_ are_ in love, Nana?" Hachi questioned, her normal perkiness back.

"I said I was just kidding..."

"Oh..."

Even before I had said anything, I knew Nana wouldn't answer Hachi's question so I decided to step in and intervene. I hadn't expected Nana to tell Hachi about Ren, but seeing how close they were getting, there was a part of me that thought she might. I guess with Hachi being a big Trapnest fan, it was in Nana's best interest to keep that little bit of info from her.

Before anyone could get another word in, my phone's ring tone started up, catching my attention.

"Uh..." I took a quick glance down at my phone, but immediately hung it up and stood up after seeing the name.

"I have to go to work," I announced, starting to walk away after receiving two nods.

As soon as I got onto a major street, I flipped open my cell and called the number back.

_"Hey Mitsuki. Why did you hang up on me earlier?"_ Shin asked with a laugh. _"Are you with your boyfriend or something?"_

"Wha? No, I was just busy, that's all," I answered quickly. "And I don't have a boyfriend."

_"Oh, that's cool."_

"So why did you call so suddenly? Do you need something?"

_"Uh, yeah. I was hoping you could replace that string I bought the other day, so I stopped by the shop, but you're not here."_

I felt my enthusiasm drop slightly. For whatever reason, I was hopping he was calling for another purpose. Of course, I was getting my hopes up too high.

"Alright, I'm heading over there now anyways," I answered. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

_"Okay, see ya."_

I sighed and put my phone away. I didn't know why I always did that- expecting every guy to return my infatuation. Hopefully, I'd be able to get over it.

When I stepped into the store, there were only two people there, Shin and Kyo, both with grins on their faces.

"What did I miss?" I questioned, feeling uneasy under their gaze.

"Nothing, nothing," Kyo waved off. "We're just glad you're here."

"Riiiiight... You probably just want to take off again."

"Nope, I'm staying here all day," he defended, raising his hand in an 'I swear' gesture. "You have my word."

With a sigh, I dropped my bag behind the counter and walked over to Shin with my hat lazily propped onto my head.

"Oh, here," he stated, putting his bass onto the counter with a nervous grin. "I managed to get the broken string off, but gave up on replacing it."

After a small understanding nod, I started replacing the string quietly. I could tell the A string had been recently replaced, so he either had someone like Kyo replace it for him, or he's just lying this time. I was leaning towards the latter.

"So why did you come here if you can replace it yourself?" I asked, keeping my eyes down on the bass as I finished up.

From above, I could hear him chuckle a bit, letting me know that I was right.

"How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess," I shrugged, handing him back his bass. "And one of the other strings was just replaced.

He took his eyes off me for a moment to put the bass back into it's case, but his gaze instantly returned to me.

"How much do I owe you?"

"Owe me? Nothing, it was a favour."

"Then I'll have to repay the favour then, huh?" he added. "How 'bout lunch sometime?"

There it was, the spark of hope reigniting. I really had to stop doing this to myself...

"If I'm not working, sure."

"Or you can go now," Kyo chimed in happily.

"But I just got here..."

"Okay, we'll make a deal then. You have two hours before I start docking your pay. In exchange, you give me Nana's phone number."

"Hachi's phone number...?"

"Mhm."

That instantly got me laughing.

"I know she was flirting and all, but she's going out with my brother right now."

His jaw immediately dropped and he looked over at me like he was about to cry.

"I guess I can't get that time off then..." I sighed, giving an apologetic smile to Shin.

"Just go," Kyo instructed.

"Huh? But-"

"Go before I change my mind."

"Alright, sounds good to me."

I quickly grabbed my bag and removed my hat before walking out of the store with Shin. He seemed just as happy about the turn of events as I was.

"So, where to?" he asked.

I just shrugged. "Not too sure. I just moved here a few days ago so I don't know the area too well."

"Okay, I'll take you to one of my favourite places then," he informed with a smile.

He started leading me down the street and I found that I couldn't help but return his smile.

* * *

**FN**: Thanks to everyone who's reading and reviewing, I'm glad this stories getting attention and that people are enjoying it ^^ For future chapters, how does everyone feel about the multiple time lapses I have in the story? They make it a bit easier to write, but if it's preferred, I'll try to keep it flowing throughout each chapter. Well, let me know, I appreciate any comments you may have ^^


	7. The Duper

Hopelessly Devoted To You

Chapter 7 - The Duper

* * *

"Hey, Nana, how about you take a break and have lunch with your friend," Mizukoshi suggested.

"Oh! Really?"

"Yup, I can watch over the store."

"Waaai! I'll be back later!" Hachi announced, walking out of Sarina's with her friend, Junko.

"You and your love sickness again..." Junko sighed. It didn't seem to catch Hachi's attention though. "What are you looking at?"

"Shh! They might hear us."

"Who might h-"

Before she could finish her question, Hachi pulled her behind a nearby building and peered around the corner discreetly

"What on earth are you doing...?"

"It's Mitsuki, she's with some guy," Hachi pointed out, watching the two walk down the street laughing.

"Mitsuki? Shoji's sister, right?"

"Yup, come on."

As soon as the words slipped from her mouth, she grabbed Junko's arm and pulled her along the street, following behind the pair.

"Why do we have to spy on them?"

Hachi immediately turned to her friend with a serious look on her face. "We have to make sure she's okay. He may be duping her to get into her pants."

"Right... But I think she can take care of herse-"

Just like before, she's abruptly pulled to the side by Hachi as Mitsuki and the apparent 'duper' make their way into the café.

"He must have been the one who called before she left so suddenly..." Hachi mumbled, her mind racing with ideas.

"I don't think we should be spying on them-"

"Come on."

Once again, she's pulled by the arm by Hachi, but this time, it's into the café.

* * *

After entering the small café with Shin, we both took a seat by one of the windows and ordered something small.

"So, how did you get a job so fast? You've only been in Tokyo for what- three days?"

"I just happened to bump into the owner's son- litterally," I laughed, playing around with the drink the waiter gave me.

As I went to look up at Shin, a small blur from behind him caught my attention. I quickly blinked a few times, trying to determine if something was actually there or not.

"Mitsuki? Hey, you're not spacing out on me, are you?" Shin teased, bringing me back to what I was originally going to look at- his gorgeous blue eyes.

"Sorry, I thought I saw something," I excused, laughing nervously.

When I finally got my concentration back, another blur passed by off to the side, but this time I could make out who it was.

* * *

"How long do you think we can sneak around without her noticing?" Junko asked sceptically from the plant Hachi had pulled her behind.

"She won't notice. She's too preoccupied right now."

With a sigh, Junko stopped talking- obviously not going to win against the determined Hachi.

"I wonder how long they're going to be her for..." Hachi mumbled, watching as Mitsuki leaned in to whisper something to the guy she was with.

"Hopefully not long-"

Hachi immediately put a hand over her friend's mouth as the 'duper' opened his mouth to say something.

"So, Mitsuki, maybe we should head over to your place."

In the blink of an eye, Hachi jumped out of her hiding spot and dashed towards the two.

"No, Mitsuki! Don't do it!"

* * *

As soon as Hachi left her hiding spot, Shin and I burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Hachi asked, looking totally confused.

"They knew we were following them, that's what," Junko stated as the two of us finally calmed down.

"Hachi, have a little faith will ya?" I teased, finding the situation pretty funny.

"Sorry, I just though he was trying to dupe you..." She mumbled, lowering her gaze.

Unfortunately, I couldn't help but feel that what she did was a nice gesture. She was just looking out for me and I did appreciate the concern.

"Thanks, Hachi," I added with a smile.

Her face slowly brightened up at my words. "Mhmm."

After the little _incident _with Hachi, the rest of our time together went by rather enjoyably. If we were ever lacking a topic to talk about, we could just resort back to music.

The two hours we had, went by relatively quickly and I could only wish for more time to spend with Shin.

"You don't mind if I give you a call once in a while, do you?" he asked once we got back to Indie's Music.

I couldn't help the grin that spread on my lips. "Of course not. I'd actually like it if you did..."

My cheeks flushed as he smiled back. "Then I'll see you later."

I nodded, but before I could turn to the store, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to my cheek. The gesture left me flustered as I made my way into the store, an amused look on Kyo's face.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" He asked, grinning.

My cheeks darkened and I nodded.

My shift felt a million times longer, my mind elsewhere. It wasn't until I went over to the Nana's apartment that I finally snapped out of it. Both of them were sitting at a table by the window- a new table.

"Like it?" Nana asked, smirking.

"Y-yeah. Did you make it? That's awesome." I asked in disbelief, looking over the new wooden table.

"Yup, all by myself," she answered proudly.

With a small chuckle, I sat at the table along with Hachi. It was a very well made table and seating area, which fit perfectly by the window. I was impressed to say the least. I had no idea she could make something like this.

"Maybe you could become a carpenter, Nana," Hachi suggested happily.

"I don't think I'll be able to play guitar anymore if I do that everyday."

"Guitar..." Hachi mumbled. "Are you planning on becoming a professional guitarist?"

"Are you kidding?" I chimed in. "Nana can't play guitar _that_ well."

"So you're not a guitarist in a band?"

"Nope. I'm a vocalist. Not a guitarist," Nana answered after glaring at me.

"You're a vocalist?" Hachi asked in utter amazement. "That's soooo cool!"

"Save those words 'til _after_ you've heard me sing."

"Already have," I pointed out plainly, glancing at her for a moment.

She returned my glance with a small smile, then headed over to the stove where she had started a stew. When she returned, she placed three bowls on the table- one for each of us.

"Hey Nana, that tattoo on your arm... Is it real?" Hachi asked quietly.

"Yeah..."

"I thought so!" she exclaimed, studying it more closely now. "Didn't it hurt? And I'm afraid of a piercing..."

"What's a little pain to get something you want?" Nana commented, continuing to eat like nothing's going on.

"Yeah, I guess so..."

"It's one of those things that make you feel alive. Right Chiko?"

"Mhm. No pain, no gain," I nodded.

"You have one too?" Hachi questioned, probably feeling left out. "Are you two massagists?"

"I think you mean _masochists_, right?" Nana pointed out with a laugh.

I joined in on her laughter for a bit, but Hachi didn't seem as amused.

"Anyways, isn't that a lotus flower?"

"Nope, it's Ren's flower," Nana corrected.

"Huh? You mean Suiren?"

"No, just Ren."

"A lotus thing?"

"No."

"But it should be read as 'lotus' not 'ren'."

"Oh shut up..."

"But I'm sure it's supposed to be 'lotus'. Stop insisting, Nana."

"Hey, stop pissing me off."

All throughout their argument, I was trying to stifle a laugh, but it was just too funny to see them fight about this kind of thing. Either way, they're both right- the kanji for 'lotus' could also be read as 'ren', but Nana also has additional reasons for calling it 'Ren's flower'."

As the two of them turned to glare at me, the doorbell rang, saving me for the moment.

"Who could it be at a time like this?" Hachi asked, getting up along with Nana. "Oh! Maybe Yasu sent your stuff."

"Geez, I didn't expect him to be that fast..." Nana mumbled as she walked over to the door.

As soon as she opened it, she froze, not saying a word.

"Good evening," the person at the door greeted happily.

The voice sounded really familiar though. Curiously, I made my way over to the door and poked my head around Nana, a smile immediately forming on my lips.

"Nobu!"

Just like I did with Nana and Yasu, I jumped at him, pulling him into a tight hug.

"Nobu! What the hell are you doing here?" Nana demanded, looking completely shocked.

"Ahh, that's just great!" he stated excitedly. "I've been anticipating that reaction! Cool!"

With a sigh, I finally released him and dragged him into the room, completely ignoring Nana's complaints. He didn't seem to mind at all that I was dragging him around, but it was probably because he knew he wouldn't get into the apartment if I didn't.

"Oh yeah, Nobu, this is Hachi... Well actually Nana, but whatever," I introduced, sitting beside him at the table.

After exchanging quick _hellos_, Hachi brought over some stew for Nobu.

"Wow, this is hella good," Nobu informed, turning towards Hachi. "You're gonna be a great wife one day."

"Well, thank you," Nana chimed in. "I made that stew."

"Ah, no wonder. I was thinking it tasted kinda salty."

Without a words notice, Nana whacked him over the head and took the bowl from him.

"If it's not good, then don't eat it. And I still don't know what the hell you're doing here!"

"Hey! I brought your luggage over!" he retorted, grabbing the bowl back. "I traveled eight hours by car for you! You should be grateful!"

"Thank you for your effort and now that you've done your job, get your ass back to Inaka!"

"Come on, just let me stay for one night," Nobu begged, getting down onto his knees. "The truth is I-"

"I don't wanna hear it!"

"I ran away from home," he finished, getting Nana's drink poured onto him.

"I said I didn't want to hear it!"

Right after she does, Hachi ran over with a towel and wrapped it around him in a panic. "Nana! Why are you so mean to him? I thought he was your friend."

"Yeah, I haven't seen him in forever," I chimed in.

"We don't have much, but you can stay here if you want," Hachi offered.

I could tell he was enjoying the attention from both myself and Hachi, but Nana wouldn't budge.

"Well, I refuse."

"But Nana-"

"I'm doing this for his own good!" She snapped back. "You're the successor to that resort owned by your parents."

"Well, it's my choice if I want to throw it all away! And... I'm happy simply by playing my guitar with you singing along with it..."

His comment seemed to take her by surprise- surprised that he would give it all away just to play guitar alongside her. Without a word, she turned around and sat at the table, immediately lighting a cigarette.

Noticing Nana's discomfort, Hachi moved towards her as Nobu's cell phone started ringing.

"Hello? Ah, Yasu."

Nana instantly stood up and grabbed the phone from his hand.

"Hello, Yasu? What the hell is this stupid boy doing here?" Nana demanded, pointing an accusing finger at Nobu. "Why did you let him bring my stuff?"

Sha paused for a moment to let him talk, but it didn't seem to calm her.

"No buts. What do you expect me to do? ...Huh? A tape?"

As if that's a hint, Nobu pulled out a CD player and held it out in front of Nana. Without hanging up the phone, she sat down at the table, supporting her head with her hand. "Okay, play it."

Soon enough, the sound of Nobu's guitar filled the room- the same sound of guitar that got me to start playing.

"Whoa! That's an amazing song! Did you actually write it?" Hachi exclaimed excitedly, getting a happy nod from Nobu.

Unfortunately, his smile faded as Nana stood up, a blank look across her face. Since what happened back home with Ren, I had pretty much given up on Blast's return, but a little spark of hope returned as she held up our guitars in front of us.

"Play it."

"But I was never part of it..." I mumbled.

Instead of letting me use my excuse to get out of it, she gave me a reassuring smile. It may have been a small one, but that one smile meant a lot to me. With a new found excitement, I took my guitar from her and plugged it into the amp that Nana pulled out from one of her boxes- along with Nobu of course.

Even though I figured I wasn't going to play, I had listened to the song- trying to come up with the cords that would go along with it. It has always been my dream to play with Blast and this seemed to be a very special occasion.

"Huh? We only have one fan for today?" Nana questioned as she puts on a leopard spotted jacket- Nobu's cell still in her hand. "Well... It started off like this too," she added with a smirk, making me and Nobu laugh. "One person is better than nothing."

Holding the phone in front of her mouth like a microphone, she got onto the table and crouched down in front of Hachi.

"Good evening, we're Blast, and this is our first live in Tokyo. We'll make this a night you'll never forget."

The song didn't even have any lyrics yet, but just like before, Nana crated her own on the spot- using a combination of English and Japanese.

With a dinning table as the stage, a cell phone as a microphone, and the moon as our spotlight, the three of us played our hearts out- letting the magic of Nana's voice fill the room.

* * *

**FN**: I was going to upload this a few days ago, but I totally forgot... sorry ^^; Thanks to everyone who reviewed or faved, I really appreciate it. Also, if anyone has any suggestions or ideas for future chapters let me know ^^


	8. New Bassist

Hopelessly Devoted To You

Chapter 8 - New Bassist

* * *

I woke up the next morning and cuddled closer to the source of warmth that had greeted me. It wasn't until a few minutes later that I questioned what it was and opened my eyes. What greeted me wasn't exactly pleasing- I was laying against Nobu with his arms around my waist.

Out of reflex, I pulled away from him and continued backing up until I ended up falling off my bed. Before I could fully comprehend the situation, my hands traced over my body, making sure I was actually wearing clothes. I was glad I was.

"Mitsuki, are you okay?" Nobu asked worriedly, leaning over the side of the bed.

"I am _now_. What were you trying to do?" I demanded, my heart still racing. "Do you think I'm that easy or something?"

Now that I thought about it, I couldn't really remember much of what happened after the three of us finished with the 'mini concert', so I was pretty concerned.

"Relax, I didn't do anything," he reassured with a sigh. "Plus, you're still wearing clothes."

As I opened my mouth to retaliate, my cell phone suddenly bounced off my head and continued vibrating on the floor.

"What the hell..."

"It was vibrating and fell off the night table..." Nobu informed, seeing my confused expression.

"Right..."

With a sigh, I grabbed the phone and flipped it open.

"Hey Hachi."

_"Guess again," _the person on the other line states- the voice obviously belonging to Nana.

"Hi, Nana," I corrected, glaring at Nobu as he moved to the bathroom.

_"Aw, well that was no fun," _she whined. _"Anyways, you're not working today, right?"_

"Nope, what did you have in mind?"

_"Shopping!"_

"For...?"

_"Groceries!"_

"Fun..."

_"Come on, you're fridge is probably empty anyways."_

"True... Fine, I'll come by your place in a bit."

_"And bring Nobu to carry the bags!"_

"Alright, see ya."

I hung up the phone and climbed back onto my bed. Nobu was in the washroom so I'd have to wait a bit to get ready to go.

"Hey, Mitsuki, where do you keep the shampoo?"

I looked up, thinking he'd just pop his head out of the door, but then again, this was Nobu I was dealing with.

"Dammit, Nobu! What the hell do you think this is? Don't just walk around half naked!"

He closed the door quickly as I threw a pillow at him in agitation.

"It's in the cabinet," I groaned. "And be quick 'cause we're going shopping with Nana."

It didn't take long for us to get ready and we met up with Nana at the apartment lobby. The trip wasn't very eventful, grocery shopping not exactly on my list of fun things to do. Of course, it had to be done though.

I did, however, try to make the most of it though.

"Nobu, since I was so nice and gave you somewhere to crash last night, you owe me a favour."

I had pulled him over to the side so Nana wouldn't hear.

"'Kay... What is it?"

"I want beer."

He glanced over at Nana before sighing and nodding reluctantly. "If you get caught though, I didn't get them for you."

I grinned in victory and nodded.

Once all the shopping was done- and I had my beer- we started heading back home. Seeing as Nana had more food, I told Nobu to go with her back to her apartment while I brought my groceries back to mine. The bags were starting to get heavy, plus, I wanted to get my beer safely in my fridge.

"Mission success," I grinned, closing the fridge.

_Bzzzz Bzzzz_

"Now what...?"

I took a sip of a beer before checking the caller ID- causing the beer to be immediately spit out. I quickly composed myself and brought the cell to my ear.

"Hey Shin."

_"So you _did_ give him your number..."_ a female's voice stated, sounding irritated.

My body tensed. Did Shin have a girlfriend or something? Though, the voice sounded very familiar...

"N-Nana?"

_"Yes, it's me. And why does this guy have your number?"_

"Uh... Well... Wait, why do you have his phone?"

_"Don't change the subject!"_

"Okay, okay! Sorry!"

In the background, I could hear Hachi yelling about something, then there's some static.

_"Hello, Mitsuki?"_

"Hachi? What's going on over there?"

_"Well, you know that Bishonen you were hanging out with?"_

"Yeah..."

_"He plays the bass and he wants to join Blast!"_

"Why the hell didn't I think about that...?" I muttered.

_"We're going over to a studio so he can play. Originally, Shin was going to call you to tell you to come, but then Nana saw that your number was on his phone and you know the rest..." _She sighed.

"Saddly..." I mumbled. "It's the one down the street from the bookstore, right?"

_"Yup, we'll meet you there then?"_

"Sounds good to me."

I finished my beer and packed my guitar before heading out of the apartment. I had mixed feelings about going to the studio with them tonight. I was excited to get to play with Shin, but Nana seemed angry about me knowing him. The last thing I wanted to deal with was an irritated Nana.

"Guys, you here?" I called, opening the door to the small studio room.

"Yay! Mitsuki's here!"

As soon as I entered the room, Hachi clung onto my arm and pulled me in excitedly. "Now you guys can play!"

With a small chuckle, I set up my guitar and walked over to where the others were waiting. I was half expecting Nana to explode at me again, but it didn't happen.

"Everyone ready?" she asked after glancing at me briefly.

"Eh?" Hachi interrupted. "But Shinichi doesn't know any of your songs..."

"How 'bout the Sex Pistols?"

"I like them!" Shin informed happily.

"Oh, oh! Seventeen! Let's play Seventeen!" I exclaimed, getting a small smile from Nana.

"I know it!" Shin added.

After a quick countdown from Nana, the four of us started the song, Shin playing practically in complete harmony with Nobu and myself. Almost in sync, Nana, Nobu and I stopped playing- or singing- and looked over at Shin in surprise.

"Oops, did I make a mistake somewhere?" Shin questioned nervously as he stopped playing as well.

"No, that's not it..."

As soon as Shin started playing, it sounded exactly like back home when Ren was playing for Blast. Nana and Nobu must have noticed as well.

"It's just that you play better than we imagined," Nobu informed happily. "It surprised us."

"Hey Nana, let's keep him!" I exclaimed, hugging him like a kid would for a stray dog they found.

He seemed to be enjoying the attention he was getting from me, even as Nana stayed quiet in thought.

"Tell me, Shinichi... Who is your favourite bassist?"

"Ren Honjo!"

Right as he said it, Nana looked over towards him knowingly, just wanting confirmation. Even if I had to guess, it definitely would have been Ren- Shin's playing style being exactly like his.

"Ren honjo?" Hachi asked excitedly. "You mean Ren from Trapnest?"

"Yup. But I'm not really a fan of Trapnest- just Ren. I used to play guitar, but when I saw him playing bass, I wanted to play too."

"Eh? But isn't Ren a guitarist? Takumi plays bass."

"What? You didn't know? Ren can play bass!" Shin informed like it's something everyone should know. "He helped the Sex Pistols as a second bass player in their album 'Tribute'."

"So that's why you played his version," Nana commented slyly.

"Ah, yes! It wouldn't be easy to follow if I don't play the original version. Sorry!"

She shook her head. "No, it's okay. With your bass, it's easy to sing with."

Nobu and I nodded and let Nana continue. "So, would you like to join our band?"

"Yeah, definitely. Your voice and the sounds of Nobu and Mitsuki's guitars made me shiver!"

Nana went to shake his hand, but stopped suddenly. I could tell what she was going to say next.

"There is only one condition... If you can keep it, we'll leave it at that..."

Shin looked nervous for a second, but quickly shook it off.

"Surpass Ren."

"Of course!"

After hearing his response, Nana shook his hand to seal the deal. It only took half of a song for the group to accept Shin, but we continued playing after. We played a few more Sex Pistols' songs, then worked on Nobu's new song a bit. I couldn't help the huge grin that played on my lips the entire time. Not only was I now _part _of Blast, but Shin was now at my side with us.

"We're really lucky, huh?" Hachi questioned, running around Nana like a puppy. "And it's thanks to whom? Huuh? Thanks to whom?"

"But I met him first!" I whined as Nobu laughed at the two of us.

Nana didn't seem as affected though and just kept walking with the three of us. After finishing up at the studio, we split up with Shin and started heading home.

"Do you really want a reward?" Nana asked.

Before Hachi had the chance to say anything, Nana pulled her closer and pressed her lips against Hachi's. "Thank you, Hachiko."

As Nana pulled back, Hachi's face completely turned red with a panicked look on her face. Nana, on the other hand, looked proud of her actions and just kept walking.

"You told me you don't like girls!" Hachi exclaimed.

"What? It was only a little smooch."

Even though I knew that Nana enjoyed confusing people like this, I still couldn't help the ping of jealousy that went through my mind. It wasn't that I _loved_ Nana in that way, but the fact that she would do that to Hachi showed that they're close- maybe even as close as we were.

"You haven't changed..." Nobu stated with a laugh. "Break'n all the girls' hearts."

Nana just chuckled slightly as we approached the Nanas' apartment building.

"Nobu, why don't you stay at our place tonight?" Hachi suggested. "Since Mitsuki wasn't comfortable with sleeping with you last night."

I immediately stopped walking and looked down at the ground worriedly. If Nobu stayed at their place, then two people would have to sleep together. Hachi wouldn't sleep with him since she's going out with Sho, and Nana wouldn't either, just because it's Nobu. So that meant...

"I can sleep with Nana, so you'll have your own room," Hachi added.

Exactly what I didn't want to happen.

"Uh, it's okay, Hachi. He can stay at my place, it doesn't bother me that much," I informed quickly, hoping my bluff would be believed.

"I see how it is," Nana stated slyly.

"N-no, it's not like _that_!" I defended, almost in a panic. "I just figured that you two should be able to sleep in your own beds, considering that Nobu isn't paying for rent or anything."

"That's not what I meant..."

With a sigh, she put her arm around my shoulders and pulled me off to the side.

"You're jealous of Hachiko, aren't you?"

"Wha? Of course not! Why would I be j-jealous?"

"You don't have to be jealous," she continued, completely ignoring my claim. "There's no way I could ever replace you."

"Y-you mean it?"

Seeing that I was practically on the verge of tears, she just nodded her head with a smile. After hearing her say that, tears started falling freely from my eyes and I buried my face into her shoulder, her arms immediately wrapping around me.

"Come on, don't start going soft on me," she teased, stroking my hair to comfort me.

"Thanks, Nana..."

* * *

**FN**: Thanks again to everyone who's review or faved this story, I really appreciate it and I'm glad you're enjoying it ^^ I'm open for any questions, suggestions, or comments anyone has, so feel free to review and let me know what's on your mind ^^


	9. Fifth Member

Hopelessly Devoted To You

Chapter 9 - Fifth Member

* * *

_"Mitsuuuukkiiiiiii!"_

"Uh... Hachi, you okay?" I asked, stopping at a nearby bench to talk to her.

_"Noooo! I'm totally broke!"_

Following suit, Shin took a seat beside me on the bench and lit a cigarette.

_"Mitsukiii, you've gotta help meeeee!"_

"I have to pay for my stuff too, you know. And if I do help you, Nana will kill me," I sighed, grabbing Shin's cigarette. "Why don't you just ask Sho for some money?"

_"No way! If I tell him, he'll hate me!"_

Pausing for a moment to think, I brought Shin's cigarette to my lips and took a deep breath in. I definitely wanted to help her, but I still have to pay for my own things and if I lend her money then she wouldn't learn how to be independent.

"Shin, who's worse to have mad at you- Nana or Hachi?"

"I'm thinking Nana," he answered with a small chuckle. "We could always just lend her some money and not tell Nana."

"True... Hachi, how much money do you have left?"

_"Ұ2228... I should get my next paycheque on the 26__th__, but I still have to pay for rent, electricity, heat and-"_

"-okay, okay. Shin and I will lend you some money, but you have to promise not to use it needlessly and to not tell Nana."

_"I promise! Thank you, Mitsuki!"_

"Remember- we're_ lending_ you money, not giving it to you," I repeated, hoping she'd understand.

_"Don't worry, I'll pay you guys back for sure! Thank you sooo much!"_

After a quick 'goodbye', I hung up my cell and stood up with Shin.

"Aww, you're so nice," he teased with a mischievous tone.

"Notice how I said 'Shin and I'? You're helping out too," I pointed out, starting to walk down the street.

"Right, _I'm _such a nice guy."

When the two of us finally got to the studio- our original destination- I could hear someone playing drums, but it was only brief. Curiously, Shin opened the door and walked in, finding Nana sitting at the drum set.

"Wow, that was so good!" he exclaimed excitedly. "You're amazing! You can even play the drums!"

"Nah, I can't play them," she shrugged off, as she stood.

"But you were just playing..."

"Yeah, but that's the best I can do."

"How did you learn?"

"With my former band in my hometown... I just learned for fun."

"Yasu taught you?" Shin asked, surprising both of us.

"Wait, how do you know about Yasu...? I chimed in curiously.

"Oh, Nobu talks about him when he's drunk... It's usually 'if only Yasu were here'."

"You're still living at Nobu's?" Nana questioned, lighting a cigarette. "Wouldn't it be better if you went back to your own house from time to time? Won't your parents worry?"

"I don't think so."

I sent him a worried look, but he just shrugged it off.

"Whatever, do as you like," Nana informed nonchalantly.

"You know... You're really weird, Nana," Shin added, turning away from the two of you. "Anyone else would have said 'no Shin, I'm sure you're parents are really worried about you'."

"True- but in the real world, there are even parents who abandon their children."

An awkward silence filled the room- neither of them making eye contact.

"Uh... So when's Nobu supposed to be coming?" I asked, hoping to start a conversation.

"He's working," Shin answered. "Probably won't come 'til later."

After he finished, silence filled the room once more. I never liked silences like this, it always made me fidgety. Plus, there was no reason for everyone to be so down."

"Why're you guys so depressing?" I questioned with a groan.

That seemed to have gotten their attention, so I continued. "We're in a good position right now. Five us of own three separate flats, jobs obviously aren't that big of a problem, and Blast is back!"

"True..." Nana mumbled, a sly smirk spreading on her lips. "Minus the fact that Hachiko's broke."

"Right... Forgot about that one..."

From beside me, Shin started laughing, putting a confused look on my face.

"What's so funny?"

"You," he answered bluntly.

"Well, sorry for caring," I mumbled with a pout.

"Thank you, Mitsuki."

As I went to look up at him, he suddenly wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest. I could feel my cheeks heating up at his actions, but luckily I could hide my face against his chest. It felt as if it were just him and myself in the room, until Nana cleared his throat.

"I thought we came here to practice," she pointed out with a smirk.

"Uh, r-right," I answered quickly as I pulled back.

As the two of them started laughing at me, the door opened and Hachi walked in- well, more like _ran_ in.

"Mizukoshi gave me 300,000 yen!" she announced, holding up a banking book.

"300,000 yen?" the three of us repeated sceptically.

"Yup! He decided to close Sabrina's so it's probably compensation."

Nana didn't seem to accept this claim though. It did seem... Sketchy.

"You slept with him, didn't you?"

"Absolutely not!'

"Liar! He wouldn't just give you all that money for nothing!"

"I swear, it's not a lie!"

With a sigh, I walked over to Hachi and took the book from her and read it over.

"Wow... That deposit's not from him," I stated, shaking my head slowly at her stupidity. "Look again."

She quiely took the book back with an utterly confused look on her face.

"Natsuko Komatsu... That's mom!"

"If you keep crying to your mom for every little thing, your path to independence will be long," Nana commented.

"But I never told her! Maybe it's mother's instinct?" she suggested. "I know! Let's celebrate with sukiyaki!"

"Why should we celebrate? You just got fired!" Nana argued.

"I could use a nice party..." I mumbled, getting Shin thinking as well.

"Yeah, some sukiyaki sounds good right about now..."

"No way! I already bought natto!"

"Fine... Natto's good enough," the two of us sighed.

"Who said you two were invited?"

"You don't want us to come over?" I whined, giving her the puppy dog eyes.

She stopped for a moment and turned away from me, but the moment she turned back I could tell she was going to give in.

"Fine, whatever. Just stop with that face."

"Success!"

Shin and I immediately high fived each other with grins on our faces.

After practice at the studio, we all headed back to Nana's apartment for celebratory natto. I would have much preferred sukiyaki, but I didn't have much say, plus, there'd be beer.

"Shouldn't you call Natsuko to thank her?" Nana suggested as we headed up the seven flights of stairs.

"Yes, yes, later."

"Oh? Is that 'cause you know you'll cry like a baby when you hear her?"

As the two of them went on, Shin, and I stayed a few feet behind, laughing at their conversation.

"But... Aren't you ever homesick, Nana?"

"Of course not. I don't have a home, remember?"

"Come on... You're just boasting..."

As they turned the corner, Nana suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. With a confused look to each other, Shin and I stopped as well, but Hachi quickly turned around and ran back down the hall.

"What's going on?" Shin asked quietly.

"Not sure..."

When Nana moved again, the two of us followed and stopped a little ways down the hall as she stopped in Yasu's arms.

"Yasu... You're the one who formed Blast, right?" she questioned, starting to cry.

"Yeah... I was so worried, I couldn't sleep," he informed, glancing at Shin and I for a second. "And anyways, there are law firms in Tokyo, too."

I smiled and walked past them to open the door. "Glad you're here, Yasu."

He returned my smile and nodded, bringing Nana into the apartment after us.

When Hachi returned, she was with Nobu, drinks and groceries in tow. It didn't take long for the celebration to start. Along the way, Hachi went into the other room to call her mom to thank her. When she came back to explain, Nana couldn't help but burst out laughing. It _was_ rather funny, but seeing as Nana had been drinking for sometime now, it only became that much more amusing for her.

"It's not funny, Nana!" Hachi complained, but Nana just kept laughing. "'Don't come back'? Can someone say that? And I'm _not_ married!"

"Well done, Natsuko! You're the best, mom!"

"Eh... She's definitely drunk..." I mumbled, taking the opportunity to take my own drink.

"Nooo, I aint drunk." As she continued to laugh uncontrollably, Yasu walked back into the room. "Yasuuu!"

Nana immediately ran over to him and sat on his lap.

"Be careful, she's had a lot to drink," I warned.

As soon as the words slipped from my lips, Nana pulled closer to him and kissed him on the lips, completely freaking out Hachi.

"Looove youuu!"

"It's okay, I get it," Yasu informed nervously as she cuddled against him. "Come on, don't climb on me..."

The look on Hachi's face as Nana fell asleep in Yasu's arms was rather priceless. She must be thinking that Nana and Yasu were in a relationship or that they would be soon.

"Hey, don't fall asleep..." He sighed, lifting her as he stood up. "I'll bring her to her room."

I chuckled and stood up to get my things, "I guess I should get going then."

"Wait, I'll walk you," Shin offered, following me over to the door.

"Alright, thanks."

As the two of us reached the door, Hachi suddenly stepped in front of us, blocking our path.

"Hachi...?"

She only stayed there for a brief moment, then backed away with a nervous laugh.

"Heh, sorry..."

With a small chuckle, Shin and I passed her and started heading down the stairs. I could tell Hachi wanted to say something, but I figured it wasn't too important. Even though that's what was going through my mind, I couldn't help but feel like I should have given her a better chance to say it.

"Hey, you okay?" Shin asked worriedly, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry... I was just thinking about something..."

"Okay, good. I thought you were feeling sick or something."

Just as I was about to look up him, his hand slipped around mine, practically making my heart stop. He must have noticed though, because he sends me an apologetic look and pulled his hand back.

"Sorry..."

Without a word, I put my hand back in his, surprising him _and_ myself. For the rest of the walk, the two of us stayed hand in hand, only letting go when I stopped at my door.

"You wanna come in for a bit?" I asked, turning around after stepping into my flat.

"Depends," he stated with a mischievous smirk. "Do you have any beer?"

"Of course, who do you think I am?"

As he walked in with a chuckle, I closed the door behind him and headed over to the fridge. Shin, on the other hand, made his way over to the couch and sat down with the TV on.

"Anything good on?" I teased, dropping onto the couch after tossing him a beer.

Before saying anything, he popped open the can and took a quick sip. "Nah."

As I took a drink, he turned off the TV and put his can down. Curiously, I turned towards him, but I was cut short as he pressed his lips onto mine. At that point, I was completely taken aback by surprise and my drink slipped out of my hand, my arms immediately wrapping around his neck to deepen the kiss.

* * *

**FN**: Just noticed that both chapters I posted (my FMA one as well) ended kinda in the same way, lol. Anyways, thanks to everyone who's reviewed and faved~


End file.
